Tourmaline brightens up the imagination and
sharpens the intellect; promotes harmony and
brings financial reward; defends the home from
theft; improves vision, relieves tension and lifts
depression
Tourmaline
Topaz
Topaz bestows courage, determination, desire,
confidence and judgment; promises health and
joy and prosperity; improves physical fitness
and raises the spirits; overcomes envy and
malice.
Heliodor
Heliodor gives the advantage to speculators,
gamblers and sportsmen; promotes prosperity
and happiness; prevents deception and
disillusionment; lifts depression and helps the
body recover and recuperate.
Diamond
Diamond heightens awareness, encourages
enterprise and strengthens resolve; it brings
personal progression and acclaim; affords relief
from mental or emotional stress, confounds
enmity and protects from physical dangers.
Citrine
Citrine is linked with boldness, courage,
mastery; it promises victory over sporting,
business or romantic rivalry; wards off
infections and any unwanted attention; prevents
accident or injury, especially on journeys.
Aventurine
Aventurine promotes health, vigour and
cheerfulness; it promises emotional moral
support in new commercial undertakings; gets
rid of doubt, diminishes anxiety and eases
bodily aches and pains; strengthens resolve
against hardship.
Magical crystals and stones
To get you started in your use of crystals and
gemstones, there is a list below of those that
you are most likely to use in your workings. To
make it easy, they are categorized according to
their planetary influence. The correspondences
here are for the seven planets used by the
Ancients before the transpersonal planets of
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered.
This astrological classification has the idea of
crystals being captured light or energy, and the
knowledge that the power of the planets can be
harnessed by this method, is a powerful aid in
spell making.
Programming a crystal
Crystals are prepared for programming by
charging them. Programming a crystal aligns
the energy of the crystal to the intent. Using a
carefully thought-out affirmation and directing
this to the centre of the crystal is sufficient to
programme it. Below are three of the most
common ways of programming.
- Place the crystal on a large crystal cluster
dedicated to the specific purpose for which it
is required. - Place the crystal in the centre of a circle of
other crystals whose ends are pointing
towards the centre and the new crystal. - Put the crystal in sun and/or moonlight,
stating the specific intent connected with the
crystal. Many people believe that the days
relating to the summer and winter solstices,
the Full and the New Moon, and the vernal
and autumnal equinox are more heavily
charged than other days.
Cleansing a Crystal
When you acquire a new crystal you should
first of all cleanse it and then dedicate the
crystal for the purpose intended. This can be
done simply by holding the crystal while
consciously thinking that it will be used only
for good, or during a meditation. You could
also call upon your deities, if you wish, using
your own ritual.
There are many different ways of cleansing
crystals. Below are several of the more practical
approaches.
- Take the crystal to the sea, clean it thoroughly
in the sea water, and allow the water to wash
over it for several minutes. The crystal should
then be left in the sun or in moonlight,
whichever pleases you most, where it can
‘energize’. - If you cannot use sea water, soak the crystal in
salt water for anything from one to seven
days – you will know instinctively how long
is needed. Use the proportions of
approximately three tablespoons of salt to a
cup of water (the water must fully cover the
stones), put the salt water in a glass container
with the crystals and leave in a sunny or
moonlit place. - Bury the crystal in commercial sea salt for at
least seven and up to 24 hours (overnight is
good), then rinse it with pure water and
‘energize’ it in the sun as before. Note: Salt or
abrasive substances may impair the surface of
your crystal; this will not affect the properties
of the crystal, but is aesthetically not very
pleasing. - If you have a sacred space out in the open,
bury the crystals for 24 hours, and as you
bury them ask that they may be cleansed
ready for your work. Don’t forget to mark the
spot where they are buried – it is very easy to
lose them! - Smudge the crystal thoroughly with, for
example, a sage smudge stick (see page 51) or
favourite incense. That is, allow the crystal to
be engulfed in the smoke until such times as it
feels clear. Suspend smaller crystals in the
smoke or burn incense underneath larger
stones. The incense section, beginning on
page 53, gives numerous examples - Put the crystal in the middle of a large group
of crystals or on top of another mineral (one
which is a specific energizer, such as copper
for the qualities of Venus) for 12 to 24 hours. - Clean the crystal in flowing spring, lake, river
or tap water and then energize it by leaving it
in the sun. It is important to think of the crystal
being cleansed by the movement of the water.
A Meditation on Jade
In Chinese thought, jade is very highly regarded,
since it is said to embody the five cardinal
virtues: charity, modesty, courage, justice and
wisdom. For this reason, it can be used as an aid
to meditation and a tool for self-development. At
its simplest you might use a piece of jade simply
to consider these virtues in a somewhat objective
fashion, to enhance your understanding. A
slightly more complex way of working with its
deeper meaning is given below.
YOU WILL NEED
A piece of jade, preferably polished
Paper
Pen
METHOD
✤ Sit quietly and contemplate your piece of
jade.
✤ Bring to mind each of the cardinal virtues in
turn, deciding what part each plays in your life.
✤ Write down those aspects that you consider
might need further consideration.
✤ For the next five days consider a single virtue
each day in meditation, remembering to write
down your insights or conclusions so that
they may be considered at a later date.
✤ As you do this, be conscious that the jade is
gradually becoming infused with your
awareness and therefore becoming a
powerful tool.
✤ When you feel ready to move onto the next
stage of development, be aware that the
Chinese also believe that the nine qualities of
jade reflect the best attributes of humanity:
Its smoothness suggests benevolence.
Its polish, knowledge.
Its firmness, righteousness.
Its harmlessness, virtuous action.
Its spotlessness, purity.
Its imperishability, endurance.
Visible flaws, ingenuousness
Its tactile quality, morality.
Its sound on being struck, music.
✤ In the same way as above, contemplate each
of the stone’s features and its corresponding
attributes and resolve to develop more of
these within your life.
Your piece of jade can now be carried as an aide
memoire to help you focus on those qualities which
you feel you need to develop. The fact that you have
spent quite a long time in drawing the inherent
knowledge from the stone means that you can now
have easy access to that knowledge when you are not
able to do a full meditation.
Crystals for Spellwork
There are many crystals that can be used in
magical workings and as you become more
practised in spell making, and more interested in
their various attributes, you will discover for
yourself that certain crystals resonate for you
more than others. These are perhaps the ones that
you will put in your talisman bag, or use in your
healing rituals.
Crystals are such an fundamental part of spell
working, with so many levels of awareness
inherent in them, that it is well worth taking the
time to learn as much as you can about them, in
order that you can use them in whatever way is
appropriate for you. You might, for instance, like
to place a large crystal of, say, rock quartz on
your altar as representative of the Earth Element
and all its power and goodness. On the other
hand, you may wish to wear a ‘charged’ crystal
(a crystal that has had extra energy added to it)
to protect you.
Using techniques for ‘finding’ crystals and
being open to them ‘finding’ you, are the best
ways of obtaining the crystals you need.
Because our lives are so busy, many of us will
come into contact with crystals only as gifts or
in a commercial environment. You may acquire
them by various methods, for example buying
them, receiving them as gifts, or very
occasionally unearthing them.
One relatively common way of ‘finding’ the
best crystal for you is by using the ‘first
recognition’ method.
- Stand in front of a group of crystals.
- Close your eyes.
- Open your eyes quickly and pick up the first
crystal you see or the one that attracts you in
any way. - When holding a particular crystal or running
your hand over it, you may find that your
hands tingle or you have some other physical
reaction. This usually means it is for you. - At other times you may feel drawn to a
particular crystal without knowing why. The
crystal may not necessarily be for you, and
could be for somebody else or a purpose not
yet specified.
If you are choosing a crystal for a specific
purpose (meditation, healing, and so forth),
hold that purpose in mind as you choose.
Usually you will sense an energy ‘reaction’
from a particular crystal, perhaps in the form of
a tingling sensation, heat or a flash of light.
Disposal of candle wax
In European-American traditions, many people
bury candle wax and other remains after a spell
is cast. Burial toward the appropriate quarter of
the compass is considered a thoughtful way to
go about this. Some neo-pagans dispose of
ritual or spell remains in a bonfire or fireplace.
If the intention of the spell is positive or
involves matters around your own home, like
blessing, love-drawing, money-drawing, or
home protection, it is perfectly acceptable to
wrap the materials in a cloth or paper packet
and bury them.
If you are removing hexes or opposing
negativity, you would burn the packet, bury it,
flush it into a stream or allow it to blow away
on the four winds as far away from your own
home as possible. Many people follow tradition
and throw the packet over the left shoulder
(into the face of the Devil) and walk away
without looking back. If the intention of the
spell is not centred on matters close to home, or
if you do not have a suitable garden, you can
wrap the materials in a cloth or paper packet
and throw them in running water over your left
shoulder and walk away. Alternatively, you can
take the materials to a crossroads – any place
where two roads cross – and throw the packet
into the centre of the crossroads over your left
shoulder and walk away.
The candle burns too quickly
Generally a fast burn is good, but an overly fast burn means that
although the work will go well, its effect will not
last long. Again you might wait before retrying
the spell, though sometimes a fast result is
required. You should use your own judgement.
The candle tips over and flames up into a potential fire hazard
Provided that you know you have placed the candles properly, this indicates there is danger about for you and your client.
You should clear your sacred space and cleanse it by whatever means you prefer.
It is probably wise to wait a while before retrying the spell and remember to take a ritual bath
The candle goes out before completely burning
This can mean that the spell you are
using is not the most appropriate one and you
need to use stronger means than you first
employed. It can also mean that someone is
actively working against you. In this case it is
wise to go back to the beginning and start your
whole spell over again.
There is a dirty, black burn (especially one that deposits soot on a glass-encased candle)
This means things are not going to go well – the
spell may not work, the blessing may fail, the
person is in deeper stress or trouble than you
first thought. There is a great deal of negativity
around. Sometimes it is good to change the
focus of the candle and ask that it be used to
burn off the negativity, which will enable you
to get a handle on the situation.
A glass-encased candle burns clean to begin with but ‘dirty’ with a great deal of smoke later
This indicates that things will go well to begin
with, but there are other conditions that have
not yet revealed themselves and will need to be
resolved. Someone may be working against the
required outcome, so the correct timing and
correspondences of further spells are crucial
A free-standing candle burns down to a puddle of wax or sets in runs down the side of the candle
When this happens, most workers
will examine the shape of the wax for a sign. For
instance, a heart-shaped wax puddle is a good
sign if you are burning a red candle for a love
spell. You may see something of importance
there, for the shape of the run may suggest an
outcome regarding the matter at hand. Wax
puddles come in all kinds of shapes; most
candle-workers look for symbols in the wax, or
sometimes use numerology or other divination
techniques similar to teacup reading, to
discover meaning
A free-standing candle runs and melts a lot
while burning This gives you an opportunity
to observe the flow of wax for signs. Quickly
melting wax shows there is a good deal of
positivity available. If one side burns quicker
than the other, a balance can sometimes be
achieved by turning the candle round and it is
useful to note how many times you do this,
since this can indicate the number of
adjustments the person may have to make to
ensure success. Other people prefer to let
nature take its course and to watch the wax run
for signs, without interfering in its movements
The flame that flares, dips, and gutters, repeatedly
Check first for draughts and then decide
intuitively whether there is a pattern to the
flaring and guttering. If you are performing the
spell with someone in mind, you may feel the
recipient of your spell is trying to block your
efforts. Sit quietly for a while until you feel you
have grasped the significance of the pattern,
which may be because the spell itself is not
right for the time. In this case simply be
prepared to try again another time